


in the rain

by ThatFilmGraduate



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bisexual Remus Lupin, But Sirus Black Doesn't Mind, First Dates, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Gay Sirius Black, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Jealous Remus Lupin, Kissing in the Rain, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Recreational Drug Use, Remus Lupin is a Disaster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24523183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatFilmGraduate/pseuds/ThatFilmGraduate
Summary: just kiss me in the rain, so i’ll know you are not one of them. those who run for shelter.– JmStormSirius has a date with a 'very fit' Ravenclaw and Remus is having feelings about it. In which Sirius has a date, Remus is not jealous, James is a bad secret keeper and Peter knows everything. Oh, and there's a conversation in the rain.Sirius/OMC, Remus/Sirius.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Original Male Character(s), Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 159





	in the rain

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these HP characters or settings. Nor do I own any of the quotes, bands or songs mentioned in the following story. 
> 
> Written: May 2020  
> Edited: June 2020

* * *

just kiss me in the rain, so i’ll know you are not one of them. those who run for shelter.  
– JmStorm

* * *

It was a normal Tuesday evening at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lessons had finished for the day and everyone was relaxing in their respective Houses, either in their common rooms or in their dormitories. Well, mostly everyone. There was the odd student out and about, roaming the halls or snogging in the abandoned Charms classroom on the third floor.

The Marauders were in their sixth year dormitory: Remus Lupin was rewriting his Arithmancy essay, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter were engaging in a contest to see who could balance the most spoons on their faces (Peter was winning – much to James's annoyance), and Sirius Black had just returned from a recent detention.

"I have a date this weekend," he announced as he entered the bedroom, a proud grin on his face.

Metal spoons clattered to the floor and Remus looked up from his essay, an unfamiliar and unwelcome feeling settling in his gut.

Those few words were enough to make him feel like he had been punched in the stomach because Sirius Black did not date. This was for a few reasons but the main one was that he was one of three out homosexuals at Hogwarts. He flirted with everyone and he messed around with a few blokes in the shadows, but he had never been on a date before and Remus didn't know what to do now that it was apparently happening.

He felt weird: winded and unable to speak because Sirius, his best friend and the person he had been in love with since he was able to understand what love was, had just delivered him the worst news and he didn't know how to handle it. He had known that the day would come – they were all going to settle down eventually – but he had hoped that it would be years in the future and when Sirius finally said the words, they would be followed by: with Remus.

"Oh? But I thought..." James trailed off and glanced at Remus briefly before he turned to Sirius and they had a silent conversation. A second later, he matched Sirius's enthusiasm and said, "Right, well that's brilliant, mate! Who's it with?"

"Jack Gadner," Sirius replied happily.

"Ah, yes. Jack Gadner..."

Sirius rolled his eyes and reminded, "Ravenclaw in the year above? Tall, light hair, Irish. Very fit. Ringing any bells...?"

Remus twitched, his knuckles turning white as his fingers clenched around his pen. Something evil was rising through his body and he suddenly loathed someone he had never spoken to before. Jack Gadner. What a fucktard.

"Oh, him!" James remembered before added, "Yeah, he is fit – if you like that type, I mean."

Remus twitched again and very carefully placed his pen on his mattress because he was seconds away from snapping it and attracting attention from the others – which was something he really did not want as he was spiralling. He didn't know what to do or how to leave the room without arousing suspicion or getting asked questions, so he just sat there and listened quietly as he silently panicked.

"You've really got a date with Gadner?" Peter asked, frowning.

"Yes," Sirius replied, moving to sit on his bed and removing his shoes. "Why does that surprise you?"

"Well, I just..." Peter shrugged. "I didn't know he was bent, is all."

"Yes, well." Sirius shrugged back. "He is."

"So, who asked who?" James asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"I asked him," Sirius grinned, completely oblivious to Remus's inner turmoil. "We've been hanging out quite a bit recently, studying for exams and stuff, and I don't know how but we ended up in detention together. Anyway, we were cleaning the blackboards in Minnie's room and I kissed him and asked him to Hogsmeade this weekend and he said yes, so we're going to the Three Broomsticks on Saturday."

"That's brilliant, mate," James grinned.

Sirius smiled coyly and replied, "Thanks, mate. Hey, and I want no spying on my date this weekend."

James gasped and placed an affronted hand over his heart. "Us? Spy on your first ever date?" he asked. "We would never dream of it!"

Sirius snorted, "Sure."

"Oi, Moony, what's wrong?" Peter asked abruptly.

Remus started, "Huh?"

Suddenly three sets of eyes were on him and he didn't like it.

Remus didn't like being the centre of attention in general but he really didn't like it this time; not when one of the three people staring at him had been trying to figure out his secret for months (James), the other knew about his feelings (Peter), and the third had no idea whatsoever (Sirius). He felt stressed and he needed to leave before he did something stupid, so he forced a smile and replied:

"Oh, nothing. No, I'm fine. Really. I'm just feeling a bit stressed. With this essay, I mean. I think I might head down to the common room, actually. Finish it there." He stood up and hastily shoved his things into his bag. He then headed straight for the door, fully aware of the eyes following him. He paused at the exit and turned to Sirius, "Hey, Padfoot, your news... It's – I'm – I mean, it's great. Gadner is... I hope it goes well."

Sirius smiled and replied, "Thanks, Moony."

Remus nodded and with that rather botched attempt at support, he left the dormitory and decided to go to the Kitchens to drown himself in food.

* * *

Wednesday afternoon found Remus sitting in the common room, doodling pointlessly in his sketchpad and trying to ignore a very persistent James Potter.

Lessons had finished for the day and everyone was waiting for the final meal to be served so that they could relax for the evening. Sirius was in the Library with Lily Evans and had agreed to meet them in the Hall when it was teatime.

At present, James and Peter were trying their best to persuade Remus to spy on Sirius's impending first date with Jack bloody Gadner on Saturday.

"But we have to go, Moony!"

"No, actually," Remus replied calmly. "We don't."

"But Moony..."

"No, I'm not ruining Padfoot's first ever date."

The truth was that he didn't really care about ruining Sirius's first date. No, his issue was with the date itself because if there was one thing he didn't want to do, it was watch as the person he fancied made googly eyes at someone he fancied and that someone not being him.

"But it's tradition," Peter insisted, apparently okay with it.

Remus stared at the pair next to him for a long second before he asked Peter: "You're really okay with this? You really want to subject our friend to the feeling of constantly being watched and sniggered at? He's nervous enough as it is."

"He did it to us," Peter excused with a shrug. "I don't see why he should be treated any differently."

"Oh, come on, Moony!" James encouraged, throwing his arm around Remus's shoulders and pulling him close. "Wormy is right. It's tradition. I got spied on, you got spied on, he got spied on – we can't not spy on Pads."

Remus opened his mouth to reply but he was saved by the bell – quite literally as the dinner bell sang, informing the students that it was time to head to the Great Hall for supper. He dropped his sketchpad and pencil on the coffee table and stood up. He then turned to his friends and said:

"Look, you can spy on Padfoot all you want, but I'm not going to. Now, tea's being served and Padfoot is meeting us there with Lily. Are you coming?"

James frowned and looked at Peter – as if asking for help. Peter just shrugged in response and stood up. After a second, James sighed and muttered something to himself before he stood up as well and said, "Fine."

Then the three of them left the Gryffindor common room with and headed to the Hall to meet up with their other friends and nothing more was said on the matter.

* * *

It was Saturday morning and Remus was sitting at his desk, staring down at his comic book, not at all reading the words on the pages. Instead, he was covertly watching as Sirius prepared for his date with the 'very fit' Ravenclaw in the year above. James and Peter were down in the common room with Lily, leaving Remus alone with his friend.

Sirius sighed for the third time in as many minutes and turned away from the mirrors. "Moony, I need your opinion," he said.

Remus bit his cheek and looked up from his comic, turning to face Sirius properly, making sure his face was neutral and not showing how angry he was. Jealousy was a horrid emotion and he refused to say that was what he was feeling.

"Sup?" he asked, internally cringing because he was not the type of person who could pull that off.

Sirius waved a hand at himself and asked, "What do you think?"

Remus took a second to study at his friend, his eyes running up and down the other student's body.

It was fair to say that Sirius Black was one of the most attractive human beings on the planet – perhaps in the entire universe. He stood there, looking like sex on legs with his dark jeans and his crisp white dress shirt, and Remus had to stop himself from shoving his friend up against the mirrors and snogging him senseless. He didn't know how that would be received, after all. Sirius might be gay but that didn't mean he fancied Remus – and the werewolf wasn't too keen on ruining their friendship if his feelings were not requited.

Something must have shown on his face because Sirius frowned and looked down at himself.

"What?" he asked, worried. "Is something wrong? Is it the shirt? I thought about the black one, but I didn't think it would work with the jeans being so dark..."

"No, it's... Sirius, you – You look g-good," Remus stuttered, internally cursing himself for his inability to just Be Cool for once. "Really good."

"Really?"

"Really."

Sirius hummed and checked himself out in the mirror again, the worry leaving him as quick as it had come, his hands smoothing down his shirt as he muttered, "If you say so."

It had always surprised Remus how insecure his friend could be. Everyone always thought that Sirius was the King of Confidence, but he wasn't. In fact, Sirius Black was probably one of the most diffident people he had ever met. He was always questioning himself; always worrying about how he looked to others. Sometimes he needed reassurance from those closest to him before he could be his old self again – the old self that was happy and optimistic and whose doubts were shoved firmly to the back of his mind.

Remus decided that now was one of those times where he needed to reassure his friend – even if it did lead to Sirius going on a date with someone else – so he abandoned his comic book and stood up, moving over to the mirrors where Sirius still stood. Once there, he put his hands on Sirius's shoulders and turned the other student to face him. Grey eyes met his and he had to take a second to compose himself. After that second, he said:

"Sirius, everything is going to be okay. You look good and Gadner will see that – and if he doesn't think you're the fittest bloke he's ever met, then he's an idiot, okay? And if you're worried about the date, don't be. First dates are always overwhelming at first. But once you get into it, it becomes less awkward and more fun. If it's with the right person, I mean."

Sirius nodded and stared at him for a moment before he replied, "Right."

Remus wanted to stay in that moment forever – with Sirius standing so close to him, staring at him with _that look_ in his eyes – but he couldn't be selfish, so he released his friend and shoved his hands into his pockets to stop them from reaching out for Sirius again.

"You should probably go," he muttered, looking down at his feet. "Gadner's probably waiting."

Sirius was silent for a moment before he nodded and said, "Right, yes. Uh, I'll see you later then?"

Remus nodded silently and didn't look up until he heard the dormitory door shut. When he did finally look up, he found himself alone with his thoughts.

* * *

About an hour later, Remus found himself lying on his bed, eyes closed as he listened to The Kinks and smoked a joint.

After the others had left for Hogsmeade, the werewolf had spent ten minutes brooding before he had found a decent distraction to stop himself from thinking about Sirius and Jack Gadner and what the Ravenclaw had that he didn't: music and weed. It had worked like a treat.

Remus was listening to Waterloo Sunset when James and Peter stormed into the room. Well, James stormed in. Peter followed at a more sedate pace, but he looked just as agitated. Remus sat up and quickly stubbed out his spliff, putting it into his Special Tin to finish later. He then flicked his wand at the record player to stop the music and watched, a bit detached, as James paced angrily, and Peter sat on his bed.

"What are you two doing back?" he finally asked, because he was sure that they were supposed to be spying on their friend's date.

"He didn't turn up," James grumbled under his breath. "He didn't fucking turn up!"

"Huh?"

"Gadner," James snapped, stopping for a second to glare at him.

Remus did not think the glare was directed at him, but he still felt somewhat affected by it. His mind still felt a little cloudy from his recent recreational habit, so he turned to Peter and raised an eyebrow.

Peter seemed to understand as he explained, "Gadner didn't turn up. Sirius was sat there for an hour before he left."

Remus frowned, his mind clearing quickly with the mention of Sirius. "What?" he asked, because how could someone stand Sirius Black up? Then the second part caught his attention and he asked, "Wait, he left? Where did he go? Where is he now?"

James seemed too angry to answer, so Peter replied, "We don't know. We went looking but we couldn't find him."

"Well, did you check the usual spots?" Remus asked. "The Divination Tower, the Library, the Oak Tree in the courtyard?"

"Yeah, we checked. He wasn't there."

"Shite," Remus muttered, frowning to himself as he tried to think of what they should do. "Okay. Right. This is okay. He'll come back. Listen, Prongs, don't do anything."

James stopped and turned to face him. "What?"

"I know you. Gadner just stood your friend up – he basically just insulted your family – and I know you probably want to kill him right now, but don't. Not yet, at least. Wait until Padfoot is back. He might not want you to do anything. I know he'd probably be fine with it, but he likes Gadner and we don't know that he didn't have a good excuse."

James muttered something like, "He'd better have a good fucking excuse."

"Just wait until he's back," Remus requested. "Please?"

James huffed but threw himself onto his bed and began muttering angrily to himself. Peter sighed and headed into the bathroom. Remus lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes, trying (and failing) not to worry about Sirius.

* * *

It was late afternoon before Remus could breathe again.

His mind had cleared in the last hour and he had spent the entire time thinking about Sirius and Gadner and everything that had happened. He didn't know the full story – just what Peter had told him – and he desperately wanted to know that Sirius was okay. James and Peter seemed to be in the same boat, since James had spent the time ranting about Gadner and worrying about Sirius whilst Peter had spent his time doing his Herbology project to distract himself.

"Hi, guys," Sirius greeted as he entered the dormitory.

"Sirius, you're back!" James yelped before he stood up and threw himself at the other student, pulling him into a bone crushing hug.

Sirius made a winded sound but hugged his friend back.

"Hi, Sirius," Peter replied, pushing his notes away as he focused his attention on Sirius.

"Where've you been?" Remus asked, sitting up and frowning.

Sirius pulled away from James and said, "Yes, I'm back. Hi, Pete. And I was just wandering the halls. I assume you all saw what happened? Or rather what didn't happen."

"Eh?" James asked, his hand still on Sirius's shoulder.

Sirius smiled but it lacked its usual happiness. "It's tradition, isn't it?" he muttered. "To spy on each other's first dates."

"I wasn't there," Remus felt it was necessary to say.

"But we saw," Peter confirmed.

Sirius nodded, "Right. Well, that's embarrassing."

"What happened?" Remus asked, because he needed to know.

Sirius sighed and moved to sit on James's bed. James sat next to him, his arm resting around the fallen heir's shoulders. Peter moved from his own bed to sit next to Remus.

"Well, I waited in the pub for an hour like a loser before I went to find Jack," Sirius explained, staring down at his hands. "I thought that maybe he'd forgotten or I'd gotten the time wrong or that he was grievously injured or something. Anything to excuse being stood up so publicly."

"And?" Peter asked.

"And he was fine," Sirius replied. "He hadn't forgotten, and he wasn't injured."

Remus's stomach felt heavy and he just wanted to hug Sirius and tear Gadner apart.

"I came back to the castle and found him in the Library with his mates," Sirius continued. "He saw me coming and dragged me to the Muggle Fiction section before his friends could see me."

"And then?"

"And then he said that he was sorry, but he was promised to another and he wasn't ready to turn his back on his family for a bloke when he wasn't even sure that he liked blokes," Sirius added. "Which is bullshit, because we did enough for me to know that he liked blokes."

"Fucking bastard," James muttered.

Sirius hummed and stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Yes, so I was stood up because he wasn't brave enough to be himself."

Remus wanted to say that it wasn't so easy for some people to be themselves – to be as open and honest about who they were and how they felt as Sirius was – but he couldn't because Sirius was his friend and his friend was hurting, and even he knew when to keep his empathy to himself.

"Say the word, Sirius," James stated. "Say the word and I'll hex him so badly that even Pomfrey won't be able to fix him."

Sirius grinned gratefully and shook his head, "Nah, don't bother. I sorted it myself. Listen, I'm going to grab a shower and when I'm back, we're not going to talk about this anymore, alright? It's boring and I just want to forget about it. Understood?"

"Understood," came the collective reply before Sirius turned and headed for the en suite.

"He's more upset than he's letting on," Peter muttered, staring after their friend.

"Fucking Gadner," James cursed. "If he wasn't ready to come out, then why did he agree to go on a date with Sirius? He could've just said no. Fucking prat."

"James," Remus warned. "Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't. Sirius said he'd sorted it, so he's sorted it."

James huffed but acquiesced, "Fine."

Remus wasn't entirely convinced that his friend wouldn't do anything, but he'd let it lie for now. "Pete, you stay here with Prongs. I'm going to head down to the Kitchens and pilfer some food."

"Why?"

"Because we're going to distract Padfoot with food, alcohol and music," Remus explained, putting his shoes on and heading for the door. "He's had a shite day and he needs us – whether he says it or not. And it's up to us to be good mates."

James and Peter nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

A few hours later, Saturday was turning into Sunday and Remus was lying on his bed again.

The dormitory was a mess, alcohol bottles and food wrappers littered everywhere. James was asleep on the floor, one leg under his bed, the other lying at a weird angle, his arms wrapped around a bottle of Firewhisky. Peter had stumbled off to the bathroom a while ago and hadn't returned, so Remus could only assume that he had passed out as well. Remus was currently lying on his bed next to Sirius, staring up at the red canopy and sharing his weed with the other student.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked bluntly, because he knew that his friend wasn't and there was no subtle way of asking.

Sirius turned onto his side and stared at the werewolf's profile for a long moment before he replied, "I'm brilliant. I've had some good food, drank some good Butterbeer, smoked some good green. Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"No, I mean – with your date," Remus muttered.

"Ah," Sirius nodded before he inhaled from the joint and passed it to Remus, "That. Well, I... I mean, I don't know. I guess I'm fine. I feel angry and humiliated and I just want to sleep for 48 hours but other than that, I'm fine. I mean, it's not like we were boyfriends or anything."

"Right," Remus agreed. "It's just – I know you were excited for it. You liked him."

Sirius shrugged lazily and replied, "I suppose I did. But I'll get over him. I reckon I'll be alright once I've had some rest. Besides, he wasn't who I really want to go on a date with..."

Remus wanted to ask the obvious question: Who did you really want to go on a date with? But he didn't. And he didn't for two reasons: he wasn't sure that he wanted to know the answer, and he didn't have his full mental capacity to deal with that type of conversation. So he decided to lay out a truth instead:

"Right," he repeated. "Listen... Gadner is a twat and you deserve better, Padfoot."

"Maybe," Sirius snorted. "Maybe not. Maybe this is what I deserve for all the bad things I've done. All those people I bullied and tripped in the halls and..."

"Sirius, you're not a bad person," Remus stated, frowning. "You didn't deserve this. Alright, you were a bit of a prick before but you're not now. You're trying to be a good person. And anyways, no matter what questionable things you've done before, you didn't deserve this. No one does."

Sirius just hummed in response.

Remus's frown deepened and he turned his head on his pillow to look his friend in the eye. "I mean it, Sirius," he asserted. "You deserve the world. You deserve someone who won't cower or hide you in the shadows but who will kiss you in front of everyone and not care what others say. You need someone who will not run away. You deserve to be happy, Padfoot. Even if you don't think so."

Sirius stared for a long moment, his grey eyes clear and bright despite the darkness, before he smiled and Remus was struck silent because it felt like the sun had come out after a particularly vicious storm. Sirius Black was beautiful, and Remus could only lie there in a daze.

"Thanks, Moony," Sirius replied. "You deserve the world too."

Remus hummed and turned back to the canopy, stubbing his joint out on the bedside table and closing his eyes. "I'm going to sleep now," he muttered. "G'night, Pdft."

"Goodnight, Moony," Sirius replied, resting his head on Remus's shoulder before they both fell asleep.

* * *

It was a normal Tuesday in November and Remus, now in his seventh year at Hogwarts, was stumbling into the common room after a particularly boring Study Session.

He had been expecting to find his fellow Marauders when he returned to his House, hoping that they could make him forget about how dull his study group were, but instead he found Peter doing his homework by the fireplace and James staring at the Portrait Hole anxiously. Lily was in the corner with her girlfriends and Sirius was nowhere to be found. The second Remus stepped into the room, he was dragged over to the couches by James.

"I'm so sorry," were the first words out if James's mouth – never a good sign.

"Why?" Remus asked, immediately suspicious. "What did you do? Where's Sirius? Oh, Gods, did you shave Padfoot again? I can't fix it again, Prongs, it was a miracle last time."

"No, that's not... I told him."

Remus was confused, so he asked, "Sorry?"

"I told Sirius," James repeated, eyes wide behind his glasses.

Remus twitched and replied, "You told Sirius what, exactly?"

James grinned nervously and ran a hand through his hair. "Hah, it's funny, really," he began. "But, uh, you remember this summer, when we got really drunk in the backyard and you told me that you were in love with a certain someone and then you told me to never say anything about it...?"

"Yes..."

"Well, I said something."

The feeling that settled in Remus's stomach was heavy and indescribable but it felt a bit like the bottom had dropped out of his world because the secret he had been keeping for years had been told to the one person he didn't want to know. All he could think was: Sirius knows.

"What?" he asked quietly. "What do you – Why would you – How...?"

"I didn't mean to," James replied quickly. "We were just talking about stuff and it just sort of... slipped out. Right, Pete?"

Remus turned to Peter – the only person who, until the recent summer, knew about his attraction to their friend.

"Oh, yeah," Peter agreed. "He had no idea what he was saying."

Remus hunched forward and ran his hands over his face in frustration. "Why would you tell him? How did this even happen?" he asked, turning back to his friend.

James ran a hand through his hair again before he explained, "Well, we were just talking, about Lily and our first date this weekend, and he was being so Padfoot about it, moaning about how he'd never find his Lily and that he'd be alone forever and that no one would ever love him. You know, the usual dramatics. But then he started whining about his unrequited love and how the bloke he loved didn't like him back and I know he was talking about you and I just... Look, you know how bad I am at keeping secrets – especially from him, and it just sort of... came out."

"Like word vomit," Peter added.

Remus nodded and ran his hands over his face again, taking a second to absorb all of the information that had just been thrown at him. From what he understood, Sirius knew about his crush and if he was to believe James, then Sirius fancied him back. It was unbelievable – but then... it kind of made sense.

"Right. Okay. This is okay. Just... tell me this: how much did you tell him? Was it just that I fancied him or... or was it – the other thing?"

From the look on James's face, it was everything.

"Everything?"

"I'm sorry," James repeated, looking utterly contrite.

"Fuck," Remus groaned and stood up. He then turned to Peter and asked, "Why didn't you stop him?"

Peter shrugged and replied, "I was interested to see what would happen. Besides, I'm sick of watching you two dancing around each other. It was funny at first, but now it's just tragic. Padfoot fancies you and you fancy him, it's about time something happened."

Remus thought about that and decided that maybe Peter was right: he and Padfoot had been dancing around each other for months – years, probably – and it was time that something changed. But then... he had kept quiet because he wasn't certain that Sirius fancied him. Sure, there were signs. Sirius was always touching him, always invading his personal space, always seeking him out for physical affection, but that didn't mean anything. Sirius was just a very tactile person.

"Does Padfoot really...?" he trailed off.

James and Peter both nodded before James answered, "Since about fifth year."

"Oh," Remus swallowed. "Right. Where is he?"

"Outside," Peter replied.

"Outside... in the storm?"

"Yeah," James nodded. "He's been out there for about ten minutes now."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Remus muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to halt his ever-growing headache. Without further word, he left the common room and made his way to the courtyard, heading for Sirius without a clue about what he was going to say or do.

* * *

No more than ten minutes later, Remus was standing in a rainstorm, trying to get his best friend inside before they both caught a cold.

He found Sirius under their tree overlooking the Great Lake. Sirius appeared to be deep in thought and Remus didn't want to interrupt but he knew that he had to. The rain was coming down hard and the wind was getting harsher and the tree provided little coverage because as they say: it always rains twice under trees.

"Padfoot?" Remus shouted, trying to be heard over the sounds of heavy rainfall.

Sirius jerked and turned around to face him, staring but not saying anything. He looked ethereal in the storm, his grey eyes bright and emotional, his dark hair damp and clinging to the side of his face, his white oxford shirt soaked through.

"What are you doing out here?" Remus asked. "It's freezing! Come back inside."

Sirius stared for a second longer before he replied, "No."

Remus frowned, "No?"

"No," Sirius repeated. "I'm thinking."

Remus rolled his eyes (why did his friend have to be so stubborn?) and replied, "You can think inside! You know, where there's a warm fire and dry clothes?"

"Prongs told me something today," Sirius said, not-so-subtly changing the topic.

Remus felt his heart jump into his throat. "Well, Prongs is delusional sometimes," he replied, because he didn't really want to talk about it quite yet. "You shouldn't trust a thing he says."

Sirius squinted at him and took a step closer before he said: "Kiss me."

"Wh-what?" Remus frowned, feeling shaken and unsure and delirious.

"You said, a few months ago, that I deserved the world," Sirius said, stepping closer until he was within touching distance. "You said that I deserved to be with someone who wouldn't hide me in the shadows and who would be proud to be seen with me. Prongs told me that you loved me today, and I think – I hope he's right, so I'm asking you to kiss me in the rain so that I know you aren't one of them; one of those who will run for shelter. If you do love me, then kiss me and show me that you won't hide or leave me standing by myself."

From where Remus was standing, he had two choices: he could be brave and kiss Sirius in the rain and show his true self to the world or he could run away and solidify the fact that they would never become more than friends. It was a horrible choice, but one he had to make. As he stared at Sirius, grey eyes bright despite the dull weather, he realised that there was no choice. He was a Gryffindor for a reason, and he didn't want to be Sirius's friend anymore.

Decision made, he moved forward and crashed his lips into Sirius's. It wasn't a particularly good kiss. It was too hard and their noses bumped together and there was a sudden gust of wind that sent shivers up his spine. But it was their first kiss, so it was momentous all the same.

Sirius pulled back abruptly and Remus had the terrifying thought that it was all an elaborate prank and that Sirius didn't really fancy him. That thought was quickly chased away when Sirius pushed his long fingers into Remus's soaking hair and kissed him fiercely.

Their second kiss was much better than the first, softer but with more feeling. It was weird because it felt like they had been doing this forever but also like they were discovering a new world. Remus thought he could live in that moment forever, with Sirius's lips against his and the rain beating down around them.

But nothing lasts forever and before he knew it, Sirius was pulling back again. Remus frowned, worried about what he would find when he opened his eyes. He blinked carefully and found Sirius staring at him, a giant grin on his face. Remus felt his lips twitch until he was grinning just as dopily.

"You kissed me," Sirius muttered. "You kissed me. Outside. Where anyone could walk by and see."

Remus thought about arguing the logic of that sentence because they were outside in a storm and the likelihood of someone walking by and seeing them was slim to nothing. But he didn't bother because it really wasn't important.

"Yes," he grinned. "Because I do love you – more than anything and anyone. And you do deserve the best. I'm not the best, but maybe I'm enough?"

Sirius snorted, his fingers tightening in Remus's hair as he replied, "You are more than enough, Remus."

Remus grinned and kissed him again. Sirius removed his hands from Remus's hair and wrapped his arms around Remus's waist, breaking the kiss and resting his chin on Remus's shoulder. Remus wrapped his own arms around Sirius's shoulders and hugged the other student closer, resting his cheek against Sirius's temple.

They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other silently, protecting each other from the storm around them. But the cold soon started to set in and the wind became stronger with every passing minute and Remus decided that he needed to get them inside before they really did catch hypothermia.

"As nice as this is," he muttered, "And I'm glad that we've worked things out, but can we go inside? Just... the rain is running down my back and I can't feel my fingers anymore."

Sirius pulled back and grinned, "Yes, let's head inside."

Remus grinned, his teeth chattering as he grabbed Sirius's hand and dragged him inside.

As they ran for cover, he couldn't describe how happy he felt in that moment and he realised then that, although he wasn't a fan of Public Displays of Affection or letting everyone know his personal business, he was quite prepared to kiss Sirius in the Great Hall, in front of everyone, if it meant feeling the way he did then: exhilarated and free.

Sirius deserved someone who would proudly walk through life with him, hand in hand, and Remus was going to try and be that person.

* * *

It was a normal Saturday morning and Remus was alone in the bathroom, brushing his teeth and preparing for his first ever date with Sirius.

He and Sirius had been an official couple for a few months now, but they hadn't been on a date. There was no particular reason for this. They were friends and they were already known as one of the school's Hottest Couples and they were usually doing more important things. But it was Valentine's weekend and Sirius Black was a hopeless romantic, so Remus was planning on taking him on an actual date in Hogsmeade.

"Well, what's this? A dashing werewolf in my bathroom?" Sirius mumbled, wrapping his arms around Remus's waist from behind and pressing a kiss to the nape of his neck. "Good morning, Moony."

Remus grinned and spat out his toothpaste, washing his mouth out before he turned and kissed Sirius on the lips. "And a very good morning to you too, Padfoot," he greeted before he turned back and finished his morning routine.

Sirius stayed latched onto him for a moment longer before he grabbed his own toothbrush and toothpaste and moved over to the shower stalls. Remus watched through the mirrors as his boyfriend stripped down, winked at him, and stepped into shower. His ears went red, a little embarrassed at being caught staring but more flustered because _Sirius Black had just winked at him_. He quickly finished up and grabbed his toiletries bag before he exited the room. He quickly got dressed and chatted with James and Peter whilst he waited for Sirius to finish up.

James was explaining the fine details of his Valentine's Day 1978 plans with Lily when Sirius stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in his most casual attire: a pair of jeans and an old black The Rolling Stones t-shirt. Remus watched as his boyfriend strolled over to his bed and lay down.

"What are you doing?"

Sirius froze, arms tucked behind his head. "Lying down...?"

"Well, get up," Remus demanded as he moved to lean against Sirius's bedpost.

Sirius frowned but sat up, "Why?"

"Because it's Valentine's weekend and we are going on a date," Remus explained.

The dormitory went silent at that.

"We're what?"

"We're going on a date," Remus repeated, ignoring the many eyes on him. "We have been together for four months now and we've never been on a date."

"Well, that's because dates are usually for people who don't know each other," Sirius pointed out. "I personally think we know each other pretty well already."

"Yes, well, dates are also for couples," Remus countered. "And we're a couple and you've never had a first date – and it's Valentine's weekend, I'm trying to be romantic, so get up and get dressed in your finest clothes and meet me at George's Place at one o'clock."

Sirius grinned and replied, "Alright. I'll meet you at George's."

Remus nodded in response and said, "Good. Be there or be square."

With that very uncool line, he left the dorm.

* * *

An hour later, Remus was sitting in George's Place, a nice restaurant on the edge of Town, nervously tearing at his napkin and waiting for his boyfriend to appear.

He didn't know why he was so nervous. He knew the date would go well. There was no reason it wouldn't. He and Sirius had been friends for years and a couple for a few months and everything was going brilliantly. There was never a dull moment and they could always find things to talk about and when they walked through the hallways, people saw them and said: 'Aw, aren't they cute?'

(Well, most people said that. Some others – namely Slytherins, jealous fangirls, and scorned exes – muttered slurs or ignored them altogether, but Remus didn't care because he was with Sirius and he felt invincible.)

But that didn't matter because he was nervous and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Remus checked his wristwatch: 13:03. Sirius was late. Not dramatically late, but it was enough to make the werewolf's anxiety double. His nerves disappeared when the door opened and his boyfriend walked in, looking just as unsure – like he wasn't certain that Remus would be there; which was ridiculous until Remus remembered that Sirius had been stood up on his first ever date.

Remus stood up and waved. Sirius saw him and grinned, looking relieved as he walked over. Remus took the opportunity to admire his boyfriend and he liked what he saw: Sirius had changed into a pair of dark jeans and a smart blue shirt with his signature leather jacket over the top. He looked extremely handsome in the light of the restaurant and the werewolf had never felt luckier in his life.

"Hi," he greeted, leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to Sirius's cheek.

Sirius smiled a little shyly and replied, "Hi."

Remus gestured to the booth and they sat down. After a second of mutual staring, he placed his hand on the table. Sirius's smile grew and he placed his hand in Remus's.

"So," he began. "Our first date."

"Yeah."

"What, uh... What do people usually do on dates?" Sirius asked.

Remus wasn't sure, to be honest. He had only been on two dates in his life: the first was with Dorcas Meadowes in his fourth year and it had been a disaster from start to finish; the second had been in his fifth year with Emmeline Vance and they had spent the majority of it snogging.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "We eat, we talk – we do whatever we want, I suppose."

"Sounds like a plan," Sirius replied.

From there, they ordered food and talked about everything and nothing.

They talked about school and the upcoming exams. They chatted about their friends and families (the Potters and the Lupins). They discussed music and films out in the Muggle world. It was an enjoyable date. Finally, when they were finished with their desserts and were drinking Butterbeer, Sirius asked:

"So why now?"

Remus took a sip and replied, "Sorry?"

"Why did you suggest us going on a date now?" Sirius clarified. "I mean, we've been together for four months and everyone knows that we're together, so why the date? Why in such a public place? Not that it hasn't been fun – because it has! I was just wondering."

Remus shrugged and replied, "I just... I wanted to show you that I wouldn't run for shelter. I meant it when I said that you deserved to be with someone who is proud to be with you and I am. And I know you. You're a hopeless romantic and I know you would have been a passive aggressive git if we did nothing. You like Valentine's Day – you always have – so I figured now was a perfect time for us to go on our first date."

Sirius grinned, "I love you."

Remus returned the grin and replied, "I love you too."

Sirius leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Remus's knuckles. It was unbearably sappy and Remus had never felt more like a mushy git – but he had also never felt so happy.

"Hey, you know that Prongs and Wormtail have been sitting in that booth over there since we ordered dessert, right?" Sirius asked, nodding to the booth across from them which housed the other half of the Marauders.

"Yeah, I know," Remus replied, because James and Peter were very bad at being subtle. "It's tradition to spy on a first date, after all – and this is technically your first ever date."

"And a good date it was," Sirius replied happily, twining their fingers together. "So... are we just going to sit here and let them watch us? It's a bit weird."

"Well, we are pretty hidden back here. We could snog and be disgustingly loved up until they fuck off," Remus suggested.

Sirius smirked and replied, "Snog? In public? My, my, Remus, you are a wild card."

Remus just shrugged before he released Sirius's hand and scooted along the booth until he was sitting next to the other student. Then he kissed Sirius in public, succeeding in both scaring their friends and showing Sirius that he was not going to run for shelter.


End file.
